GPHC continues to respond to COVID-19

−Prioritising staff, patient safety

−Overwhelming patient load being alleviated

With the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is examining ways to manage patient load while treating and containing the spread of the virus.

Speaking to DPI, the Director of Medical and Professional Services of the GPHC, Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey, related that as the only tertiary public health facility in the country it has a priority to safeguard the health and well-being its staff while maximizing the level of care delivered to patients.

Specific to COVID-19, the hospital had designated an area in its north-eastern wing as a COVID-19 Isolation and Intensive Care Unit. This was necessary since the hospital’s usual capacity for patients was always at 100 percent occupancy rate.

Dr. Jeffrey added “We are working with the present administration to determine the possibility of initiating the use of the institution that was developed at the former ocean view hotel building. We will start using that institution for the spillover of patients.”

He explained that the aim is to utilise the institution at Liliendaal, on the East Coast of Demerara, to house transitory patients who are ill and require hospitalisation. It will also be used as an isolation facility for persons testing positive but are asymptomatic and also do not have a place to self-isolate.

Those critically ill and in need of ventilatory support will continue to be managed at the GPHC.

The GPHC has instituted a COVID-19 task force which has taken the lead in responding to the pandemic through measures and guidelines adopted by the facility. An education campaign has begun while policies and protocols were created, some of which was used nationally at other health facilities.

As all this was implemented, the hospital also made changes to the way regular patients (outside of COVID-19) were managed. “The GPHC on its own had to make many changes, we had to reduce elective activities, we had to try to do telemedicine. Those persons who did not need to come to the hospital we kept them at home and we would do regular calls to find out how they are doing.” Dr. Jeffrey said

Screening checkpoints were also established at all entrances of the hospital along with triage zones. Here, persons who were exhibiting symptoms and/or are suspected to have COVID-19 underwent a more thorough physical examination. Based on that examination the person is either sent to quarantine or a test is immediately conducted.

Dr. Jeffery also mentioned that the GPHC staff were sensitised on the use of PPEs, face masks, sanitisation procedures among other essential tools needed in the eventuality they needed to serve as frontline workers.